February 11, 2016

If you really want to get to know America, visit some of its spectacular national parks. In addition to getting away from the relentless pace of city life, America’s national parks have the capacity to expand your horizons to understand American’s natural treasures. They are also terrific places to relax, breathe the fresh air, observe native wildlife, and to clear your mind of the stress of everyday life. Here are five national parks that we recommend you take the time to experience when you are here on business or for pleasure.

1. Yosemite (pronounced yoh-sem-it-ee) is home to five of the world’s highest waterfalls, yet, that is not one of the major reasons people enjoy the park. The scenery in the California park is overwhelming, whether you are walking on the valley floor or standing atop the steep granite cliffs looking down on the valley below.
2. Acadia National Park is on Mount Desert Island in the most northeastern state of Maine. Cadillac Mountain towers majestically above the island, allowing visitors panoramic vistas of Frenchman’s Bay, Bar Harbor, and the Atlantic Ocean. The top of Cadillac Mountain is where the sun first rises in the U.S. every day.
3. The Grand Canyon is so vast that it would take a lifetime to explore, yet it can be seen in a day by following the drive along the south rim north of Flagstaff, Arizona. More than five million people visit the park annually. The canyon is a mile deep and as much as 12 miles wide, filled with awe-inspiring rock formations that seem to change with the angle of the sun from sunrise to sunset.
4. Rocky Mountain National Park is near Estes Park, Colorado. This park celebrated its 100th anniversary as a national park. There are 72 mountains whose summits are over 12,000 feet. The park features more than 300 miles of hiking trails as well as scenic drives.
5. Everglades National Park has such global significance that it has been named as a Biosphere Reserve, a World Heritage Site, and a Wetland of International Importance. The sea of grass the flow from central to southern Florida is home to native Indians, panthers, and alligators, not to mention lush, tropical settings.

Don’t just think about America as a business. Whether you plan to visit or to make it your new home, enjoy some of its most outstanding natural wonders while you are here.